Time to fly...

..to Cyprus that is. I have finally decided to do it! I will be studying abroad this Spring. For the trip of a lifetime!

Jan.
24-25 Th-F Students Arrive in Cyprus


26 Sa GLS Orientation Presentation

28-31 M-Th Orientation week

Feb.
1 F Troodos, Cyprus trip (All)

4 M Classes start

Mar.
9-17 Sa-Su Travel to Greece-Italy

18 M Holiday – Green Monday

25-29 M-F Free week

Apr.
5-7 F-Su Limassol-Pafos, Cyrpus trip
19-21 F-Su Larnaca-Ayia Napa, Cyprus trip
26-12 F-Su  Travel to Europe

May
5 Su Easter Sunday
15 W GLS Graduation

17 F Departure

Trip 1 Details: Greece & Italy
March 9-17

Duration: 8 days

Countries: Greece (2-3 days), Italy (5-6 days)

Cities: Athens, Florence, Rome, Venice

Greece

Country Description:

Greece is the birthplace of Western civilization, having given rise to reason, philosophy, science and democracy. In Greece, we will be based in Athens and will spend several days exploring the city.
Athens
In Athens, we will visit:

The town center which includes the Syntagma (Constitution) square, the Greek Parliament building (old Royal Palace) and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The Plaka, which is the oldest continuously inhabited section of Athens, full of archeological sites, including Monastiraki (little monastery) and the ancient Agora (market), as well as restaurants, bars and tourist shopsThe Acropolis hill with the Propylaia entranceway to the world famous Parthenon temple dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the Erechtheion and the Caryatids that support it, and, of course, the Acropolis Museum

The National Archaeological Museum which houses a great collection of large sculptures, bronzes, figurines as well as gold masks, cups, dishes and jewelry

Italy

Italy has a magnificent heritage and was the home of the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church and the Renaissance. In Italy, we will see an amazing collection of architecture and art.
We plan to travel extensively in Italy and will visit Rome, Florence and Venice.
Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy, a city with seven hills. In the historic center, we will:Visit the Colosseum, the amphitheater where gladiators and the first Christians combated wild animals.

See the Arch of Constantine, commemorating Constantine's defeat of the pagan Maxentius

See the Roman Forum where orators spoke and Caesar was glorified

Visit the church of St. Peter in Chains that houses the chains of St. Peter and Michelangelo's most important sculpture, Moses

Visit the Vatican complex which includes St. Peter's Square, an ellipse with a colonnade with an Egyptian obelisk and the Swiss Guard, St. Peter's Basilica (with Michelangelo's dome and the Pietà ), the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel (perhaps Michalangelo's most beautiful religious art)

Walk from the Piazza del Popolo (with the church of Santa Maria del Popolo and the Mausoleo Di Augusto) through the Via Del Corso (Rome's Fifth Avenue) to the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps), the Trevi Fountain and the Piazza Venezzia See the Piazza Venezzia with the Vittorio Emanuele Monument, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Palazzio Venezia (with the balcony where Mussolini used to speak), the Palazio Doria Pamphili, the Palazio Colonna and the Santa Maria in Aracoeli

Visit the Piazzza Navona with the Fountain of Neptune, the Fountain of the Four Rivers, and the Fountain of the Moor

Visit the Pantheon, built by Marcus Agrippa in the 1st century BC and reconstructed by Hadrian in the 2nd century B.C and dedicated to all Gods. It has a massive dome which Michalangelo studied before working on the dome of St. Peters
Florence

Florence in Tuscany is the city of the Medici and a Renaissance city second only to Venice. The river Arno runs through the city with the historic center to the north.

Our tour of the city starts with a visit to the Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of Florence below. Crossing the river to the historic center, we:

Visit the Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore) with its tri-colored exterior. Of note are its dome built by the architect Brunelleschi, the bell tower (campanile) built by Giotto and the Baptistry dedicated to John the Baptist. The doors are the work of Lorenzo Ghiberti.

Visit the Official Gallery with a beautiful collection of Renaissance paintings and sculptures. Worth noting are Botticelli's Birth of Venus and the Primavera, Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation and the unfinished Admiration of the Magi, Michelangelo's Holy Family and other masterpieces Time permitting, see the Piazza della Signoria with the Fountain of Neptune, a copy of Michalangelo's David (the original is in the Academia) and the Palazzo Vecchio and the Orsanmichele church

Time permitting, see the Piazza San Lorenzo and the Basilica of San Lorenzo built as a Latin cross. Nearby, are the Medici Chapels with a mausoleum designed by Michelangelo, and the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi

See on the Arno river the Ponte Vecchio, the only Medieval bridge that survived the Nazi retreat.

Venice

Venice is about 4 kilometers from the mainland. It has about 150 canals and 400 bridges. Transportation to Venice is via vaporetto (motorboat).

We will visit:

The San Marcus square with the Basilica of St. Mark (Basilica di San Marco). Adjacent is the palace of the Doges, the Palazzio Ducale with its magnificent stairway (Scala dei Gigantic), several works of Tintoretto and Veronese

The Grand Canal has many palaces, galleries and museums that one can admire from the vaporetto.
Time permitting, we might visit some of the following: Academy Gallery with work from Bellini, Giorgione, Veronese and Titan

The San Rocco Scuole which has many works of Tintoretto, such as the Flight into Egypt and the Crucifixion.

The Ferrovia (train station), the Piazzale Roma, the Rialto bridge and the Academia bridge


Trip 2 Details: Western & Central Europe

April 26- May 12

Duration: 14-16 days

Countries: Austria (3 days), Belgium (2 days), Czech Republic (2 days), France (3-4 days), Germany (2-3 days), Luxembourg (1 day), Netherlands (2 days), Slovakia (1 day)

Cities: Salzburg, Vienna, Brussels, Prague, Paris, Strasbourg, Berlin, Dachau, Dresden, Luxembourg City, Amsterdam, Bratislava

Austria

Austria has played a pivotal role in European history since the 13th century through the long reign of the Habsburgs. Over the centuries, the Habsburg empire was involved in the 30 Years War, stopped the Ottoman incursion into Europe, battled Napolean and triggered WWI.

On the cultural side, Austria has a rich history of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art and music.

Our trip to Austria is focused on Salzburg and Vienna, both historically important cities from a political and cultural perspective.

Cities Visited: Vienna, Salzburg, Melk (time permitting), Linz (time permitting)

Vienna

Vienna is the capital of Austria, a city of music and concerts and the Hapsburgs.

Scheduled Events

In Vienna, we:

Take a walking tour focused on Imperial Vienna. Highlights of the tour include: Parliament, the State Opera House, St. Stephen's Cathedral and Josefsplatz

Free Time

In your free time, you can choose to

Visit the Hofburg Palace (Imperial Palace)

Visit Schonbrunn Palace, a massive Baroque palace that is an imitation of Versailles in Paris

Visit St. Stephen's Cathedral

Attend a play or concert

Salzburg

Salzburg is the city of cathedrals, an important ecclesiastical center for centuries, and the setting for The Sound of Music.

It is also the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Situated between two mountains, Salzburg is divided by the river Salzach into the new and the old town.
You have free time to explore area like:

The Holy Trinity church and Mozart's later residence.

City Hall and the quaint streets of the old city

Residenzplatz, the largest square in the old city, and the Residence Fountain.

The Salzburg cathedral

The Hohensalzburg Fortress, the largest and best preserved citadel in Europe

Getreidegasse, a street of old-fashioned shops and restaurants, including No 9, the birthplace of Mozart

Melk

Melk is a small city about one hour outside Vienna. Time permitting, we like to make a brief stop here is to see the Melk Abbey and the Stiftskirche.

These are two of the most impressive Baroque structures in the world.

Belgium

Belgium is a small country, divided into Dutch-speaking Flanders in the North and French-speaking Wallonia in the south. Despite its small size, Belgium is important due to its administrative role in the EU and NATO. Our trip to Belgium focuses on Brussels.

Cities visited: Brussels

Brussels

Brussels, a city of one million, has become Europe's de facto capital through the European Union.

Scheduled Events

In Brussels we:

Take a walking tour of the city to see the Grand Place, the grandiose Town Hall, the King's House (now a museum) and several guild houses where Karl Marx wrote the "Communist Manifesto" and Victor Hugo served part of his exile.

See the Place Royale with the statue of Duke Godefroid de Buillion, the leader of the first crusade or the "King of Jerusalem"

Free Time

In your free time, if the history of past programs is a guide, you will be eating.

Belgium is home to a large array of temptations, including dark chocolates, decadent waffles, fruity Belgian beers and delicious moules frites

Few can resist all of the above.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has smoothly transitioned from the Eastern Bloc, through its amicable dissolution with Slovakia, and into the European Union.

We will visit the historic and vibrant city of Prague - the "City of a Hundred Spires."

It is probably a statement of the obvious that we are in love with Prague and that you will be too.

Prague

Prague is the capital of the Czech Republic and its historic center is one of the most beautiful in Europe.

Scheduled Events

In Prague, we take an extensive historical tour of the city that includes:

See the Municipal House, the Old Town Hall, the Church of Our Lady Before Tyn and Havel's Market

The Church of St. NicolasIn the Bethlehem Square, we see the Bethlehem Chapel, the Naprstkovo Muzeum, and the Muzeum Bedricha Smetany with a great view of the Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle.

The Old Town Bridge Tower and the historic Charles Bridge

The magnificent Prague Castle which overlooks the city

Free Time

Like Paris, Prague is a great city to walk and soak in the visual feast that the city presents to you.

Prague is more compact than Paris and you will be able to easily make your way about the historic center from our hotel.

France

France is, with Germany, one of the largest and most powerful countries in the E.U. Stretching from the English Channel to the Mediterranean, France has been a force in European history, culture and politics for thousands of years. Even today, France maintains a strong presence in international politics and is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

We will focus our time on Paris, but also visit Strasbourg, which is the seat of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament.

The academic focus of our time in France will be on the European Institutions (in Strasbourg), art history (from the vast collection of the Louvre to the Gothic Architecture of Notre Dame to the Impressionist collections of the Musee D'Orsay) and on Modern European history (our course begins with the French Revolution).

Cities Visited: Paris, Strasbourg

Strasbourg

Strasbourg, meaning the city of the roads, has been the seat of the Council of Europe since 1949.

Strasbourg is a very quaint and pleasant town to relax and get a taste of a quieter France than Paris.

Scheduled Events

In Strasbourg, we will:

Take a tour of the city and its main attraction.

Free Time

During their free time, you can:

Visit the Cathedral of Notre Dame that dates to the 12th century

See the Pharmacie du Cerf, the oldest pharmacy in France and the Kammerzell house (Maison Kammerzell), both dating from 1268

See the Palais Rohan, the residence of the Prince-Bishops of Strasbourg

Paris

Is there anything to say about Paris that has not been said before?

Paris is the political, industrial, commercial, cultural and artistic center of France and is simply a wonderful city to visit.

Scheduled Events

In Paris, we will:

Visit the Musee du Louvre, one of the world's great museums, containing oriental, Egyptian and classical antiquities as well as sculpture, painting and art pieces. Among other priceless masterpieces, we will see the Code of Hammurabi, the jewelry of Ramses II, the winged victory of Samothrace, the Gioconda (Mona Lisa) by Leonardo da Vinci, the Wedding at Cana by Veronese, the Madonna of Chancellor Rolin by Jan van Eyck, the Virgin and Child by Donatello, the Dying Slave and Rebel Slave by Michalangelo, the Venus de Milo, the crown jewels of France and much more.

Free Time

It safe to say that you will find something to do with your free time in Paris:Visit Notre Dame, the cathedral of the nation. Built in the 12th century, the cathedral saw the coronation of Henry VI of England, the wedding of Mary Stuart to Francois II and a ceremony for Jean d'Arc. Outside is the zero point, from where all distances from Paris are measured.

Take a walking tour of central Paris from Hotel de Ville through the Champs D'Elysee to Trocadero and the Eiffel Tower

Visit the Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin) and the Sorbonne University, a successor of a theological school founded in 1253 by Robert de Sorbon

Visit the Musee d'Orsay to see works by Ingres, Cezanne, Degas, Van Gogh, Renoir, Seurat, Gauguin, Rodin and Lalique (optional)

Visit Versailles, the most magnificent palace in Europe and spend some time in the gardens

Germany

From Charlemagne to Bismark to the World Wars to the Berlin Wall, Germany has been in the heart of Europe. Germany has over 80 million people and is the largest economy in Europe. We will visit Berlin and Dachau.

Our focus in Germany is on the political history of the country and how it has shaped European history in the 20th century

Berlin

Berlin is the famous, formerly divided, capital of Germany. Berlin was first divided in 1945 and the Berlin wall was erected in 1961 and remained until November 9, 1989. The city has two town centers: the zoo station and the Kurfurstendam in the West and the Mitte along Unter den Linden and Alexanderplatz in the East.

In Berlin, we will:

See the landmark Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), a symbol of former division and now reunification.

Stroll the aristocratic Unter den Linden of old Berlin to Alexanderplatz with the world clock and the TV tower. On the way we will see the Schlossbrucke (Palace Bridge), the Kronprinzen-Palais (Crown Prince Palace) and Humbald University.

Visit Checkpoint Charlie at the junction of Friedrihstrasse and Zinnerstrasse

Visit the famous Reichstag (Parliament)

Dachau

On the outskirts of Munich, we will visit the city of Dachau and the Dachau concentration camp memorial. Built in 1933, the concentration camp processed 200,000 prisoners and killed over 30,000 of them.

We will visit this camp to pay our respects and remember one of the darkest moments in European history.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg is the smallest nation on our trip and is organized as a Grand Duchy.

Luxembourg City is the capital.

Luxembourg City

We will visit Luxembourg City. Important attractions include:

The Fortifications that have protected the people over centuries.

The Palace of the Grand Dukes.

Notre Dame Cathedral.Important European institutions located here are the European Court, the EuroStat and the Euro-tom.

The Information Office of the European Parliament and the Representation of the Commission

Three miles east of Luxembourg City, at Hamm, is the U.S. Military Cemetery with over 5,000 graves of American servicemen that fell during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944-45 and the Liberation of Luxembourg on February 12, 1945. Here is also the grave of General George S. Patton, Commander of the Third Army.

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, we will focus on the capital, Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a city famous for its many canals and bridges and is a modern, liberal and tolerant city.

Old Amsterdam still reflects its prosperity as a trading center in the 17th century and as a haven for the persecuted and the oppressed.

Amsterdam is also noted for beer-brewing and as a diamond center.

In Amsterdam, we will:

Visit the Van Gogh Museum with more than 200 examples of the artist's work

Additionally, you can:

Take a canal cruise that will give us a canal view of its major attractions (Ann Frank's house, the Old Stock Exchange, the Royal Palace and the Weigh House) as well as the gabled houses of merchants from the Golden Age

See the Old Stock Exchange (Beurs von Berlage) designed by Berlage

See the Royal Palace (Koninlijk)

See the West Church (Westerkerk) - a 17th century church with a 277 ft tower. The remains of Rembrandt lie here and Queen Beatrix was married here in 1966

Slovakia

Slovakia and Bratislava will be an interesting counterpoint to Austria and Vienna. They are both countries of the Austria-Hungarian empire, but, during the Cold War, developed under very different political regimes.

Bratislava

Bratislava is the capital of the Slovak Republic that split amicably from Czechoslovakia in 1993. The castle overlooks the city where one can take a walking tour. Bratislava is right on the Danube (Danau) River that flows from Vienna down to Budapest.

Previously known as Pressburg, Bratislava was for centuries part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Ten kings and one queen were crowned here. The golden age was under Maria Theresia. Except for six years during World War II, Bratislava was part of Czechoslovakia from 1919 until 1993.

Here we will:

See The Slovak National Theater

See the Main Square, the heart of the historic center, with the Old Town Hall that contains the City Museum and the City Archives.

See Maximilian's Fountain

See the Archbishop's Palace

See the Old Market Hall

See Mirbach's Palace, a rococo building, which is today the City Gallery.

See St. Martin's Cathedral, a Gothic structure with the chapel of St. John the Almoner, the coronation cathedral of Hungarian kings.

See the Castle that overlooks the city. Its Siginmund gate is the best preserved Gothic structure. Maria Theresia is the only queen who lived here.




-There you have it. From January to May I will be exporing all of these wonderful places along with taking five college courses from these selections:

ART-281: History of Art (3 credit hours)

EUS-105: Intro to the European Union (3 credit hours)

EUS-201: European Geography (3 credit hours)

EUS-210: European Cultures (3 credit hours)

HIST-203: Modern Europe (3 credit hours)

GREK-101: Greek Language and Culture I (3 credit hours)

DES-260: Photography I (3 credit hours)

IREL-325: Nationalism and International Relations (3 credit hours)

Happy Birthday Damian!

Thank you to Damian Redding for being born, allowing us to take a trip to see the Mariners on Sunday =). It was so much fun.We had hotdogs, garlic fries, lemonaide, and strawberries on a stick. We also walked the field before the game. The Red Sox won 7-4 (big surprise there..ha!) but none the less we had so much fun! Thanks for the invite Redding Clan!

Rotary DLTA 2012

Aw yes, another year of amazing fun!

It was Colin's first time in another country! We shopped, visited grandma, and I took him to all the wonderful dining places in Victoria including; The Garden Cafe in Port Angeles, Pagliacci's Italian Restaurant, Chen Mi's Chinese Restaurant, and The James Bay Tea Room and Restaurant-All my favorite places in Victoria. The only thing we didn't have a change to experience food wise was high tea at the Empress, the Bingow Room at the Empress, and breakfast at Murchie's. We'll have to save that for the next time we go.

A couple weekends ago we ran into a couple from Victoria who own a bed and breakfast called Abby Moore so we will probably be going back soon to visit Victoria.

Colin and I also took a night and explored bars in the city. We went to an Irish bar which made me want to travel and backpack the UK even more. There was live music, kilts, and attractive men and women for our pleasure of eye candy. We also went into a bar that is connected to several other bars. You just go room to room to room of different establishments! That was pretty neat. One of the bars attached has the walls filled with bras and knickers, it was pretty interesting.

The Ferry rides were tolerable and I didn't get to car sick. The rotary meeting like usual gave inspiration to better our club and make it the best it can be. It's amazing what people can do when they put their mind to it. I am happy for the trip and for having Colin be able to enjoy it with us!

Oh and we walked into the book store to look for the Buried life's book while we were there and it was on a back shelf hidden so I felt the need to move it to a front shelf to be seen so people would buy it and help them with their bucket list =). Good deed of the trip.

My Favorite Coffee Place!

I drove by this sign and instantly started giggling so naturally I had to take a picture and share it. It's at a cute drive threw coffee shop on Market Street, in Chehalis WA.

RIP Aaron

My heart goes out to the amazing Shelby Hogarty and everyone associated with Aaron. I can't imagine how terrible it must feel to lose someone they loved so much. I had the opportunity to get to know Aaron and it is just heart breaking to think that he is gone. One doesn't even know what to say to a family when something so terrible happens.

I made sure to make myself available to Shelby, but I know it doesn't really help. I love her so much it is hard to see her going through so much pain.

I am so grateful that she has Jesse in her life to give her comfort and a shoulder to cry on. I mean the man got a matching tattoo in honor of Aaron with Shelby. That is a good man! I will be heartbroken if they do not marry to be honest with you-with a superman wedding (it's a must).

Going through all of this I just wish that Colin was able to be here and just give me a hug and tell me that Shelby is going to be ok and I am a great friend to her and just to be there.

I find it kind of sad that when I even offered to pay for him to visit he felt like he and I quote "Had to go riding on Sunday to think about things". I think my problems trump his but to each his own. Sometimes I guess a person just has to take the backseat to the selfish ideals and feeling of others and pretend its ok when in reality its not.


Shelby and her family have been in my prayers every night and I can't stop thinking about Aaron and feel so much hurt for his family. Let it heal with time I suppose is the only thing we can do and just make sure that your the best you can be for those who you love.

His service was an inspiration to the masses to be the best you can be in the here and now because you never know when your going to leave this earth. I truly believe it is my time to make a difference today, a reminder Aaron's story has given to me.

So cheers to Aaron. "Get Big"

*Photo by: Shelby Hogarty. Aaron Foote, #33 on the field, #1 in our hearts.

Step 1 Check.

Things I have accomplished of my Traveling Abroad Goals:

1. I got the boyfriend to start saving up. This was a bold task, he is not one to plan something so advanced, but none the less I succeeded.

2. Went to the WSU Study Abroad Information Meeting. I taught myself most of what was talked about, but they did give me a helpful check off sheet.

3. Applied to the Cyprus program, sent transcripts, and pay fee. I got in. That means I'm one step closer to studying abroad.

There are still tons of things I have to do like get a passport, visa, check on financial aid, and many other tedious things, but I have a year to do it so I'm not worried just yet =). I'll keep you posted.

Thoughts to Ponder.

Had a wonderful trip visiting my boyfriend. He took good care of me with my cold and all. I'm so happy to have him in my life.

The two of us are thinking of taking a backpacking trip to the UK.

I also am thinking of studying abroad. I want to so bad, but the trip is so expensive. If all else fails I hope to get to explore the countries with the man I love.

I'm dreaming big, but I know it will be worth the traveling.

Reflection on Last Years Resolutions

It is the start of a new year and I had many goals to accomplish. Here is how I did.

• Saving money-I have been saving money each month to put in a life savings. I think this year I will try for a IRA fund but until then I think I'm doing just fine.
  
• Working out- Lost five pounds =)
  
• Wardrobe-Much improved =))) Just bought myself an amazing selection of nicer clothes.
  
• Boom Boom Cards-Four cards down. =) Good start.
• Harry Potter-Just on the last book.
  
• Pick a college-Did it going. Now I'm debating Study Abroad!
  
• Go ice skating-didn't get to this one =(
  
• Road-trip Somewhere-GLEE =)))
  
• Mini Golf-Went with the family. Bumper Boats too! Well worth it.
  
• Go-Carting-Didn't manage it.
  
• Pacific Science Center-Check.
• Surfing-done.
• Skiing- Woah buddy hard stuff.

Overall what a great year.